The present invention relates to stabilized earthen walls and, more specifically, to a stabilized earthen wall having face panels that define gaps in which plant material may grow.
Construction projects often require the formation of vertical or nearly vertical earthen walls. For example, the side of a hill may be excavated to obtain a suitable road grade, leaving a substantially vertical wall face on the uphill side of the road. Depending upon the composition of the earth at the wall face, the earth may require stabilization to prevent degradation or collapse of the wall face.
Earthen walls are stabilized using numerous methods. In some situations, a light coating or wire mesh may be applied to the face of the wall to prevent loose dirt and rocks from falling from the exposed wall face. In other situations, the face of the earthen wall may be stabilized by constructing a substantially freestanding wall and backfilling the earth against the freestanding wall. Such freestanding walls are commonly made of materials such as wood or concrete. Wood or concrete may be in the form of blocks or piles that are assembled on site; a freestanding concrete wall may also be cast in place.
In many situations, the earthen wall may require stabilization beyond what can be obtained by a coating, wire mesh, or a freestanding wall. In these cases, the reinforcing wall may be mechanically connected to the earthen wall. This type of reinforcing wall will be referred to herein as a mechanically stabilized earthen wall.
A mechanically stabilized earthen wall typically comprises a substantially vertical face wall and one or more substantially horizontal anchor members connected to the face wall and buried within the earthen wall. The face wall protects the face of the earthen wall, while the anchor members reinforce the face wall.
The present invention relates to mechanically stabilized earthen walls that may be decorated with plant material to improve the aesthetic value of the earthen wall.
The present invention is a retaining wall system for stabilizing an earthen wall or a method for forming such a retaining wall system. The retaining wall system comprises a plurality of face panels, a plurality of anchor mesh panels, and a plurality of connecting pins. The face panels each comprise a wall portion and at least one connecting portion. Each connecting portion defines a void system comprising at least one third passageway that intersects a mesh opening.
In use, the face panels are stacked in a plurality of vertically spaced rows with gaps or openings between vertically spaced wall portions. The anchor mesh panels are buried within the earthen wall with a portion of one of the anchor mesh panels inserted into each of the mesh openings. Connecting pins are further inserted into one of the third passageways and one of the mesh openings to connect the anchor mesh panels to the face panels. The earthen wall is accessible through the gaps or openings defined by the wall portions.